Interviewing a Job Candidate

There is a substantial
body of material written for candidates applying for jobs and
a lot of it is about interviewing. Theres less written for the
interviewer. When you are building a group, its important to
hire the most appropriate people for your jobs. Anyone who has
worked in different jobs has worked in some groups that worked
better than others. Having the right people on board improves
the quality of the work, encourages the groups functioning smoothly
and effectively, makes the work environment more fun, and reduces
turnover. I am writing this list from my own experience of more
than 30 years in business. During that time, I have both built
and worked in groups within a corporate framework. I have also
started and operated my own businesses. I hope that the points
listed below will support you in improving your interviewing skills
and style and in making better hires.

Talk to the
candidate during the interview; establish a rapport with
her. Get to know him, because you may be working together.
Reread the resume
before the candidate arrives for the interview. You might
refer to the resume occasionally during the interview,
but dont hide behind the resume.

Engage the candidate
in a casual conversation but be careful of questions that
can get you in legal trouble.
Asking questions
about age, family status and other non-job-related, personal
issues can potentially lead to lawsuits.

Assess the candidates
technical skills for the job as quickly as possible.
If he is capable
of handling the job, you can spend your time deciding
whether you want to work with him. If her skills arent
up to the job, you can assess your options: bring the
interview to a close; assess whether there is another
job in the company that might be appropriate; find another
manager who might be interested in speaking with her.

Assess the candidates
personal values for appropriateness for the group.
You have important
questions to answer. The most important one is whether
you would want to work with the person youre interviewing.
Beyond that, ask yourself if he will be a positive influence
within the group, and whether he will present the kind
of image you want both for your group within the company
and for the company in the community.

Relax and have fun.
Establish a
rapport with the candidate. Put him at ease. Enjoy the
process. Just have an interesting conversation. You have
nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Sell the candidate
on yourself, the company and the job.
Youre always
better off if the candidate wants to come to work with
you, your group and company. Even if you decide not to
hire her, its better to leave her with a positive impression
than a negative one. She may have a friend, who might
be right for your job or another one in the company.

Learn about
candidates career aspirations.
Where does she
want her career to be in a year? Two years? Five years?
Will you be able to help her along her chosen career path?
If so, its a good step toward a match. If you cant move
her career in the direction she wants and you hire her
anyway, it can be a source of frustration for everyone.

Only promise
what you can deliver.
If you hire
a candidate and cant deliver on promises you made in
the interview, youll have a good foundation for a disgruntled
employee and wont do your own reputation any good either.

Have at least
one member of the group, future colleagues, interview
the candidate too�and pay attention to their comments.
Other people
in the group will have different perspectives and they
will have to work with the new hire too. Another thing
to remember is that future colleagues will often learn
things that a future manager wont. Having other people
in your group participate in the hiring process is also
good for morale. People develop skills for their future
and they feel more of a stake in building the group too.
Consider their opinions, but remember that the final decision
is yours.

Write down your
thoughts as soon after the interview as possible.
Writing your
thoughts will help you remember later when your trying
to figure out which of the 15 candidates you want to hire.
It will also help you months later as youre supporting
your employee. For example, what promises did you make?
Or, what career path does she want to follow?

One final point to keep
in mind: Dont hire someone you know isnt right just because
youre short-handed. If youre absolutely desperate for people
and cant find the right person for the job, consider hiring a
contractor. Hiring the wrong someone just to get a warm body into the job can hinder your project, promote group dissention
and damage your groups reputation in the company. In extreme
cases, you might even have the unpleasant task of having to correct
the situation by firing the personand then everyone loses.